Inheritance
by herocum
Summary: I had to stay strong, I had to protect Adam. I had to run. The dice was rolled for me, I'd already been mated and my life was no longer my own. It didn't really matter that it was against my will, and I did not matter that I was running away from my mate. Since he and his pack was the ones chasing me halfway across the world. Nothing mattered, as long as Adam was safe.
1. Small Mercies

_Don't stop. Do not stop!_ I yelled to myself.

Adam was sniveling at my shoulder, he had just stopped crying and I thanked God for small mercies. He had been crying for the last couple of hours. And nothing I said had stopped him or even calmed him like it used to do. It drove me insane, and me snapping at him had only made the childs crying worse.

I was exhausted and on the verge of crying too. But I had to stay strong, I had to protect Adam. I had to run. Which I had been doing for over two days.

Two days.

My body was breaking at a slow and steady pace. I knew that it was only a question of time now. I had been hopeful in the beginning. I had thought that I was strong enough to get me and Adam out of harms way. How wrong I had been.

The wound on my left shoulder kept reminding me that I was not invincible. And I had to carry him on my right side instead. Which bothered my hip after a while. But he was to tired to walk himself, and we had to keep going. At least a little more.

I had a big gapping wound at my shoulder and cuts and bruises all over my body. And I still kept going, hoping and wishing that I somehow would be able to hide Adam somewhere he'd be safe.

The dice was rolled for me, I was already doomed. There would be no help for me. I had already been mated and my life was no longer my own.

It didn't really matter that it was against my will, and I did not matter that I was running away from my mate. Since he and his pack was the ones chasing me halfway across the world.

"I'm hungry," Adam wined. He still had some problem talking English. But I still forced him, we were in America now. And he would not utter a word of Swedish. That could alert us to others around, others that knew that we had run away. Especially the ones that know of me and Adam. I would rather die then go back, I just needed Adam to be safe. Then I would gladly take my own life.

"I know baby," I answered and felt a pang of guilt, "I'll get you something soon I promise. Try to sleep." There was no way for me to continue. My body was screaming and I was not alert enough. Which would put us into risks along our way.

So I stopped and put Adam down. I sat down on the ground, with my back against a tree. I had nothing to keep Adam warm with, but the child was a lot tougher than anyone gave him credit for. He put his head in my lap and fell asleep within minutes. I kept stroking his hair well after he'd fallen asleep. It calmed me somehow, to feel his soft childish hair under my hand.

My breath came out in a whoosh. I hadn't even noticed that tears were swimming in my eyes. I was so tired. I was so weak. I was so hurt. I drew in a ragged breath and bit my lip. My vision grew blurrier by the second, I leaned my head against the rough bark and felt tears rolling down my face. I couldn't do this. I sniveled and tried to choke my broken sobs.

"Don't cry," Adam said with a sleepy voice. It only made me cry harder, and I laughed humorless at him. He was such a wonderful child. So strong for being so utterly small. "It will be alright. Don't worry, we got each other."

I dried my running nose on my jacket, since I didn't have anything else. I looked down at him and gave him a genuine smile even though despair gripped me from the inside. "I know baby. Sleep now, you need to rest."

"You do too," he argued and yawned.

"Don't worry Adam, I'll be alright." He didn't catch the lie in my voice. And it was good too see that some childish innocence was still there. I kissed the top of his head and kept the groan of pain to myself.

"Jag älskar dig," he whispered before he fell asleep again.

I should have told him off, but I couldn't. Not now when his voice was so small and tired. I took a deep breath and felt the last tear leave my eye, "I love you too," I answered.

* * *

><p>I came awake with a jolt and a curse.<p>

Images from my past was still clouding my eyes, and my nightmare had not left me yet. I shrugged and stretched. I groaned out loud, my body was in pure agony. And I knew that Adam and I would have to keep on moving now.

"Adam?" I called and looked around me. Not that I would recognize my surrounding, we were in a different forrest, one that I had never been in. I knew that we were on the right way, nothing more.

I grew worried when he didn't answer me, he usually didn't stray far from me. Too much had happened to the two of us, we rarely left each others sides. He always kept within hearing distance, so he would hear me call.

My hearing was advanced compared to his. One perk of being wolf. I could smell a lot better than him too. He would be able to hear and smell better one day too. If he lived long enough to go through his first change.

"Adam!" I yelled and stood up. My legs almost gave up on me and I had to put my hand out on the tree to steady me. My adrenaline started to pump inside of me, it grew with the same pace as my fear. "Adam!" I roared at the top of my lungs. Anger was masking my fear.

I whimpered and started to move. My body no longer hurt thanks to my adrenaline. I started out in a jog and took deep breaths in all directions.

Adams scent was heavy, he was near. I started running, my fear no longer agreeing with my slow pace. And thats when I heard him scream.

A high pitch that hurt my heart to hear, for it was not the first time I'd heard him scream out in fear or pain. I ran as fast as I could towards his screams, I heard him call out for me and I wanted to beat myself for sleeping. For not keeping him safe and watching him.

My heart skipped a beat when I finally saw him. There was a wolf just a couple of feet away from him. Adam was pressed up against a tree and I didn't need to see his green eyes to know that he was afraid.

The wolf was black, and bigger than a usual one. He was downwind from me, but I already knew without smelling that he was like me.

My smell must have hit his sensitive nose, he turned my way and just looked at me. "Back away from the child," I warned with a deep voice. The wolf turned too me and gave me a confused look. His head was turned slightly to the side, as if he was sizing me up.

We hadn't come across any mutts yet. But there was a first time for everything. I just hoped that I was strong enough to take him on. Which I probably wasn't. I would have been if had been healed, my parents had taught me how to fight. Especially males since they were the biggest threat to me.

If I had not known that this was a werewolf I knew it now, from looking into his eyes. They were black, and not at all like a wolf. He took a step away from Adam, but I did not relax at all.

"Adam, spring," I told him to run. Not caring if my Swedish would unravel our true identities or not. He didn't argue with me like a usually did, he obeyed me for once in his life. I exhaled loud as his small form became smaller and smaller for every second and step he took.

The wolf did not turn to him, he kept his stare fixated at me. "Did Jonathan send you?" I growled with hatred.

I didn't expect him to answer me, but I did expect some kind of acknowledgement. But the male in front of me gave nothing away. I could smell more wolves coming up behind me. And I sucked in an angry breath.

I didn't wait for the wolfs friends to reach us, I started running and he barked out loud. I knew that he wouldn't be able to keep himself from chasing me. And I knew that the others would follow too. That meant that Adam would get a headstart, I would not stop. And I would use every dirty trick I knew too keep them on my trail for as long a possible.

Changing was out of the question, there was no time. And I truly doubted that my pursuers would allow it, or wait for me to finish. So I ran, and I heard a wolf behind me. I turned and saw the black one coming after me fast.

I was quick, absolutely. But I was no match against a wolf. Not when I was running in my human form. I quickly bent down and gathered a large rock into my right hand.

The rock would harm the wolf, not kill. But it was better than nothing since it was my only weapon. I moved it into my left hand, I was a lefty, and I would not be able to hit the wolf with my right arm. My aim was way better with my left arm, even though it hurt me to move it.

The wolf was right at my heels when I turned around and threw the stone at his head. He yelped and fell to the ground.

I knew that it was only going to momentarily knock him out of his game. Wolves were tough and I would not have a lot of time before he came out of his daze.

The other wolves was circling me, and I knew what trap they were trying to set. I quickly changed my course so they wouldn't be able to trap me.

A blond wolf was in my way and I stopped for a second. He growled in warning and I knew that he would leap at me. I raised my lip and growled back, as if I said 'come at me' – which I actually was.

He jumped a second after, I waited until the last second before I moved. I put my hands in the wolfs fur and threw him with all my might. He sailed away with his own speed and a little bit of my help. He wouldn't get far though, he was a heavy one and I had not been strong enough. My mission had been to throw him into a tree, but that was a no-go.

I didn't stay to watch the wolf find his balance again, I kept on running. My adrenaline was still pumping inside of me, and I didn't feel any pain. But I knew that I would the second it stopped. My shoulder would bother me for days thanks to that stunt I just pulled.

I shook my heard sharply. _Stay focused. Think about Adam_. And I did. Or tried too. I cursed loud, I saw a flash of blond hair and was tackled to the ground. Thats what I got for staying alert.

My attacker and I rolled on the ground and I used the speed of our collision to make sure he landed on top of me. That would make him think that he had the upper hand.

I wasted no time and kicked him in his groin before he could secure my hands or even utter a word. I saw that he was middle aged or older and that he was blond – I also saw that I didn't recognize him. Not that it mattered right now.

His expression was one of pain, which I understood. I'd kicked him hard enough to sterilize him. I immediately pushed him off of me and stood up. And then I got tackled again, by another blond male. I growled in anger and tried the same trick with this male. But he made sure I couldn't move my arms or legs. He sat on my thighs and held my arms above my head.

"Who are you?" he tried and failed to sound friendly. He was angry – very angry. So was I. He leaned in and growled when he saw my determined look. I knew that I gave him a look that said, _I'll give you shit, bastard!_

He came even closer with his face, but still far enough for me to do any damage. So I spat in his face, his face instantly showed how pissed off he was. And I smiled at him. His hair was blond, almost silver blond but with dark dark blue eyes.

If the situation would have been different I might have found him handsome, beautiful. He had a strong face, with hard lines, telling me that he was a bit older than me. I didn't have any childish features, not really. But compared to him, it felt as if I did.

"I will ask again," he almost growled, "who are you?" I knew that he was stubborn, I could tell by the way he set his chin when he looked at me. He would keep this up until I spilled my guts. And something told me that his patience was greater than mine.

"As you wish," he said completely calm now, "I will keep this up until nightfall if I have to." And there it was, I'd known he was stubborn, damn.

The older male that I kicked came over, he grimaced badly when he walked and I couldn't help it. I laughed. The young one that was holding me in place looked over and instantly got a look of concern on his face.

"I'm alright," he said with a southern drawl, "but watch out for her. She fights dirty." I actually tried to get away while the older one spoke. And I'd almost succeeded in casting him off when he growled and pinned me to the ground again. I roared in anger and lifted my upper lip, revealing my sharp teethes, which wasn't human any longer.

"Don't," he threatened. He flexed his muscles in a display of his power. And I would have lied to myself if I'd said that I wasn't impressed. He was well built and muscular. I was no match for him, with or without my fighting skills. He was stronger and I had no chance to get away from him what so ever.

"What do we do with her?" the young wolf asked the older one. The more I looked the more similarities I found between the two of them. They had the same eyes, and both of them were built big. With impressing muscles and a big frame.

"We take her back."

I pretended not to understand their words for now. So I did my best to look as confused and frightened as possible. Like a cornered predator, it was a look they would buy and understand. "I will let you go now, momentarily, and you will not try anything stupid," he told me, his blue eyes seemed to spark with barely controlled anger. I met his gaze and tried to look as stupid as humanly possible. "Do you understand me?"

_Yes you idiot_, I thought, but kept my dumbstruck face. He exhaled and looked at the older wolf again. "I'm not completely sure that she knows any English."

"Maybe not. We'll find out sooner or later. Take it easy for now."

We stood up, and the young wolf still held a tight grip on me. They quickly cornered me, with the younger one on my right arm and the older one on my other arm. I looked around, with big eyes and made sure that my breathing came out heavy. I needed to acted like I was scared and didn't want to show it.

I idly wondered where they wanted to take me. But dismissed the thought quickly, since I would not follow them all the way. I just needed for them to relax, put their guards down a little.

We walked for about ten minutes when I felt the grip of their hands relaxing, not by much, but enough for me to get ready.

Another wolf came walking towards us, and I cursed myself for waiting too long. I could see that one side of his face was swelling up, and his black eyes also told me that this was the wolf I had thrown the rock at. He looked a bit asian, his eyes were a bit slanted, so I guessed that he was a mix. I saw that he was older than the other two, but not by much. He had black hair, with a bit of silver streaking it. Or maybe he wasn't that much older, werewolves and age rarely agreed with each other.

"Has she said anything?" he had a calm voice, that still demanded an answer. _Fuck fuck fuck._ _Don't tell me that he is the alpha_.

"We don't know if she speaks any english."

"She does, she spoke to me in the woods." He'd barely finished his sentence before I broke myself loose and started to run again.

I felt a hand on my wounded shoulder, trying to yank me back with force. I yelled in pain and could no longer stand on my legs. They gave away like twigs and my vision turned black. My body screamed from the pain, and when my vision came back, I saw that I was sitting on my knees, with my hand on my wound.

My shoulder was warm and sticky. I didn't need to take a look to know that it was bleeding again. My arm was shaking badly, and I could not keep my growl to myself. I heard steps behind me again, and I decided that I could not run or fight. There was three of them, all male. And one of me, a wounded female.

I started to get dizzy, I knew that I was passing out. I had done it so many times before and I knew that this weightless feeling was the beginning of it. My last thought was of Adam. I saw his green bright eyes, his dark curly hair and his childish heartwarming smile.

How was he going to make it without me?

* * *

><p><strong>Not sure if the swedish thing is overkilling it or not.<strong>

**And yes, answers will come, in time. When she's done sulking.**


	2. Hate at First Sight

I already knew that I was a prisoner.

There was really no need to open my eyes. I felt a soft mattress underneath me, it smelled faintly of wolf. So I knew that I was not the first or the last to lay here. My mind wandered and I wondered how many before me had been in my situation How many of them were now dead... would I die too?

I filled my lungs with a deep breath and tried to distinguish any other scent. Nothing. Or nothing of importance. I was alone, that much I knew. Because I heard no breathing or other sound, I had to strain my ears to hear anything. There was some faint noises coming from...upstairs?

My eyes flew open and I had to blink a couple of times before my eyes focused. I growled at myself. I was in a cage. A big one – one that was meant for me and my kind. I was on the floor, there was nothing more than that in my prison, except for a toilet I refused to use. The bars were solid, and I knew before trying that I wouldn't be strong enough to break out. All werewolves had superior strength, but this prison was designed to keep us in. I was strong, strong for being a female. I still knew that my bones would break before the bars gave away.

The room around me was horrific, taken straight out of one of my nightmares. The ceiling was gray cement and the walls made out of the same dull color, but stones instead. There wasn't any windows, so I had no chance to even see my surroundings. There was a chair outside of my prison and I already knew that someone had watched me from that spot. A shiver ran through me, I hated being watched. I'd always been watched, throughout my whole life. I never got used to it. The same unnerving feeling always reached me when eyes were staring.

It took some time for me to stand up, I had to grab on to one of the bars to keep my balance. My shoulder hurt like nobody's business. And the rest of my body was still weak.

My cuts and bruises sprang out in nasty colors all over my body. _You look like a frickin rainbow_. Yes I did. I glanced at my shoulder and saw that a bandage covered my wound. _So they're going to patch me up before they start on me again, lovely_. I still had the same clothes on, except the jacket. My shirt was dirty and torn in some places and my jeans had seen better days. They were dirty from sitting in the woods, mud covered them. They were my favorite jeans, it shouldn't have bothered me that they were almost ruined. But it did, it irritated me to no ends. I had to turns my eyes away in the end, my anger was starting to build up and I didn't want to rip them apart.

There was food on the floor, it was in a bowl and I had nothing to eat it with. I understood that, giving me any sort of weapon would have been extremely stupid. I might do some damage with a spoon, or I would at least try.

I smelled to food suspiciously, but my hunger got the best o f me. I couldn't even control myself long enough to taste what I ate. Well, poison would work great on me. But I doubted it. They wanted answers and they needed me to stay alive, for that part at least.

My pride stopped me from yelling. I'd already decided that I wouldn't say a word to these people, wolves, whatever. But I would make some noise, for sure.

While still holding unto one of the bars, I started kicking with all my might at the front of my cage, where the opening was. Jolts of pain and shock went through my leg, so I clenched my teeth together to keep myself from crying out.

They were awfully quick, I could hear multiply steps after just a couple of minutes. I would have kept my prisoner waiting for days, just to piss them off. I hadn't really thought this through, not at all. Why had I just outed that I was awake?!

_Stupid, stupid, stupid_. I could have tricked them, I could have faked being unconscious. I could have done **something** other than this.

It was actually quite simple. I was mad, mad at them and at myself for being trapped. I had been to confident, I'd really thought that I would have been able to flee. And to later on find Adam.

Adam. Oh god. I had to sit down on the mattress again. _You left him alone_. I did, and it killed me that I left him. He would be fine for a day or two, but what would he do then? Who would find him? What would they do to him? All of those thoughts passed through my head and I suddenly felt sick to my stomach.

He was so _small_. Only a child. He was barely eight years old. _What were you thinking?!_ I yelled at myself. Why did I tell him to run?! He should be here with me. I might not be able to keep him safe here, but he would at least be with me. I could have calmed him and soothed him like only I could.

The door to the cellar opened and I once again came face to face with the same wolves, the black one, and the two blond ones. I quickly hid my emotions and stared at them all. The young blond wolf looked at me, and I could swear that it was hate at first sight. He looked as happy to be down here as I was. His blue eyes looked at me, there wasn't any emotion to find in them except annoyance. _Good_. I was glad that I annoyed someone.

"I am glad that you are awake," the black one started with a gentle voice, "I was afraid that your wound was to severe for me to mend."

He kept looking at me and waited. He could wait for the rest of his life. "What's your name?" I kept glaring at him, trying to make him see that it was pointless. "We're not going to hurt you. We want to help you," he said to deaf ears. Images of Adam being hurt be these people kept flashing before my eyes. That was the only thing that kept my mouth shut right now.

Help me? Oh yes, they were of great assistance, locking me up instead of letting me go. Great, lovely. He was saying the right words to get my temper ticking. My mother would have been proud of my self restraint, I usually had none. Or, this was my stubbornness not patience.

Maybe they'd let me go when they finally realized that keeping me here would be a complete waste of time. _Yeah right._ A female was never a waste of time in our world. I knew of five existing females. I was one of them, my mother the second, one was mated to the alpha in Iceland, the alpha of the American pack and her daughter. So no.

Males were territorial, and having a female was the greatest territory of them all. That meant having something that very few others had. I had already witnessed that once in my life. And judging by the looks of it, I would again.

I would once again become the property of a male. That almost made me growl, but I kept the sound to myself and continued to stare.

"Who bit you?" the oldest of the blondes asked.

Bit? Please. This was my inheritance. A completely fucked up and shitty one. But I couldn't escape it. It was in my blood and DNA. This was how I had been born. Into this cruel world of males.

My mother was bitten, she only survived cause her father had been wolf. Or thats what we thought. My aunt, her sister, had been bitten on the same day and she had died. So we weren't really sure. And none of us was eager to test that theory or even share it.

Both of my parents had told me how unique I was in this world. And I had first thought of it as something good. But it hadn't taken long before mutts had started to show up on our doorstep, either smelling me or my mother. And thats when I understood why there was no female wolves. Because our world was cruel, and we had been spared this animalistic savage side. We had no place in the werewolf world, it only contained men.

I had cursed my existence and tried with all my might to conceal and smother the beast inside of me. Not that I could escape it. I had the gene from _both_ sides, from my father and my mother. And that had sealed my fate forever, my wolf side had existed with me from the day I'd been born. I had always been told that I was more wolf than human. It wasn't true, not entirely. Close though.

"We will keep you here until you are ready to come out," the black one said. I think he understood that I wouldn't answer. They all turned and left, just as easily as they had come down.

What the hell was that supposed to mean? Until I was ready to come out? Damn, I was super ready now! I could no longer control myself. I yelled and started kicking the bars again. My anger had grown to great.

Adam was in my thoughts and I hated myself for not being able to protect him. I hated myself for getting us into this situation. Hated myself for being born. _Hate, hate, hate, hate_.

_I hate you,_ the beast inside of me growled.

_Good, I hate you to_, I answered and screamed until I lost my voice.

* * *

><p>Round, round, round.<p>

I was pacing my cage. I was in my wolf form. I had not been able to control myself this time. My anger and sadness had gotten the best of me. I had gone through my bones snapping, my fur growing and my body changing into something that shouldn't be possible. And I survived it, again. It always disappointed me. That the pain was so great and that my body could take it.

My captors had left me alone for hours now or for the night. I didn't know if it was night or day. I had no idea for how long I had slept before I woke up earlier. What day was it? No idea. How long had I been here? No idea.

I started howling, there wasn't really any reason for me to howl. I just wanted to be as noisy and obnoxious as possible. I wanted them to know that I would be a pain and that I was _loud_.

There was no fear inside of me. At least not fear for myself. I had already been put through every sorts of imaginable fear. That didn't necessarily mean that I was fearless, on the contrary. I knew my fears and they scared me enough to paralyze me from time to time.

I feared them because I had lived through them. The unknown wasn't really what scared me, no knowing what I did scared me – knowing what awaited me. Knowing that Adam could get hurt scared me. Knowing that him being a child wouldn't protect him scared me. All of my fears was actually all connected to him. Him getting hurt, him being scared.

My own fear had already come alive, and I was only momentarily evading them. I would get dragged back sooner or later. That did scare me, nothing could frighten me more than Jonathan. And the worst part? He knew it himself.

Thats why I didn't feel anything when these males were in front of me. Intimidating as they were, they were no match for Jonathan. He was my personal wraith. It didn't really matter that he wasn't here to torture me now. One thought of him sent me right back to the place were I was fragile, small and weak.

So I stopped myself. Jonathan was **not** here. _Yet,_ I reminded myself. Yes, he would come. I was sure of it. He would never ever let me go, or leave me alone. And I was not strong enough to kill him, or to keep him away from Adam and me. That was a proven fact, I was worthless against Jonathan.

_Don't go there_, I warned myself. My mind was starting to paint up all sorts of images. Or they were really memories. I couldn't break down now. I had to keep my facade up, I needed to keep on looking like the animal I had inside of me. Ruthless and unafraid.

Yes, ruthless and unafraid. I would try. Even though it was hard, I would to my best. I might be weak against Jonathan, but I refused to be weak against every male I came across.

* * *

><p>My captors were down with me again.<p>

I still had no time perception. But it felt like ages. It could be a week for all I knew. The thing that bothered me was that I had wished for them to come down. After being alone for so many hours, I started to crave some sort of attention.

"Are you ready to try this again?" It was once again the black one that started talking. I was, I truly was. My bravado or stubbornness or whatever it was had passed. It felt like the walls were creeping up on me. I hated being caged, it brought me back to less happy days. Days when..._no, don't you dare think about it! _

"I already told you that we're not going to hurt you." His dark eyes looked sincere, but I had been fooled before. But then I saw something that made me nod, I saw pity and understanding in his eyes. He somehow knew why I didn't trust males.

"What's your name?" he asked again.

"Anna," I croaked back.

"My name is Jeremy. This is Clayton," he said and pointed to the older blond wolf, "and this is Logan, his son. Do you know who we are?"

How could I not? Their names were well known. I knew of them all. They were the Pack. The ones that I had been looking for, or trying to stumble upon. I should have put the pieces together long before this. But my mind had been to confused and afraid to actually think. I wanted to weep, it felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulder.

Until I remembered why I had tried to find them in the first place. I jumped at the bars and took a strong hold of them. "Have you found the boy?" I heard the panic in my voice, I couldn't control myself. "The one I was with in the woods," I continued fast. I squeezed until my fists whitened, it was the only thing I could do.

"He is upstair, he's safe," he said with a calming voice.

I exhaled and leaned my head against the bars. Relief washed over me and I was once again on the verge of crying. I kept my eyes closed, my tears were burning and I didn't want them to see me like this. I kept them closed until I had control over myself again.

"The boy, Adam, how do you know him?"

"He's my brother," I whispered and felt my heart contract as the words left my lips.

"Why did you come here?" his questions didn't bother me at all. I knew that this was some sort of interrogation. But he sounded so kind and calm, I understood that he needed to know.

"A friend told me to seek shelter here, for my brother."

"What's your friends name?"

I stood up when I noticed that I was still leaning against the bars. I met Jeremys eyes. He looked a bit distant now, not enough for me to stop. I saw that he was thinking.

"It doesn't matter now. He's dead."

"I'm sorry to hear that." It truly sounded like he was sad for me. Even though I didn't really see it in his eyes. Werewolves had short lives, that was a fact. A death didn't mean much in our world.

"So am I."

"Why do you need our help?" Clayton demanded, his tone was not gentle. Neither was his expression. He was guarded, I could see that he was suspicious of me. I could understand that, since I kicked him in the balls the first time we met.

"I don't," I growled and regretted it the same second. That was not a good way to win them over. I needed to remind myself that Adam was at their mercy. And that my behavior could crush the chances of his safety. "My brother does," I added with a soft voice.

"So your brother needs our help but you don't?" I couldn't tell if he was mocking me or simply laughing at my stupidity.

"Exactly." I sounded defensive, again. I had to work on that. I was depending on the Pack to take Adam in. That was my mission, my only task in life. "He needs to learn how to be a wolf. And I can't teach him that. I can no longer protect him. That's why I needed to find you."

"Are you being hunted?" Logan asked. It was the first time he spoke and it sent shivers over my body. He had the same dark voice as Jonathan, demanding – an alpha by blood.

"Adam is." It wasn't entirely true. But I wanted to keep the part about me out of this. I didn't want their help. I would not even take it. That would mean putting Adam into harms way again, and I couldn't let that happen.

"By who?"

"The Swedish alphas son."

"Why?" Logan asked again.

His voice awoke something inside of me. "Because he's a fucking psycho," I yelled out in frustration. "I'm sorry," I quickly added and held up my hand, showing them that I needed a moment. "He's after him, I'm not sure why. I just know that I can no longer protect Adam from him." I lied again, yes. I even felt a little bad about it, but I would lie through my teeth to get Adam to stay. I would say and do **anything**. "He will kill him," I almost choked on the words as they stumbled out, that was true. Jonathan would eventually kill my baby brother just to get to me, to punish me.

"And what will he do to you?" Jeremy hit the right spot. I had to keep myself from flinching as his words hit me. I refused to show any discomfort. This was for Adam, that was the promise I'd given our mother. That he would be safe. We had both known that safety was out of the question for me.

"Nothing."

"Why don't I believe you?" Clayton said with an accusing voice.

"How is that your problem?"

"You became my problem the second you came upon Pack territory."

I could feel his stare burning on me, I couldn't look back. I knew what he meant, I was their responsibility right now. "Open the cage and I wont be any longer."

The door to the cellar opened again. And the alpha came downstairs. She was skinny, but fit, with muscles all over. Her hair was silver blond and she had bright blue eyes. I could see that she was surprised, but she hid it well. She looked middle age, but you could never be sure. I glanced at her son, he was about my age. Around twenty, so she had to be forty at least. It didn't show though. She was beautiful, what caught me the most was the way she displayed herself. Her stride was confident and all power. There was no doubt in her or any fear. She was in charge and she knew it.

Elena gave me a look and then gave her pack one. Not a words was uttered before her mate, Clayton retold what I had just said. She listened while watching me. I grew uncomfortable under her eyes. She knew how hard it was for us in this world. I could bet my life on it, she knew what males did to us.

"We could keep you safe too," she said and I saw just how much she wanted to protect me.

"As I just explained, I don't need any protection."

"She's lying."

I hadn't even noticed that Katherine, Elenas and Claytons daughter, had slipped down to join our gathering. She was taller than her mother, with the same skinny body. All athletic and with perfect control over their bodies. Elena had a bit more curves than her. Her blue eyes were brighter than her brothers, her hair was more like their fathers. Golden blond with curls. Her face was also softer than her twins, and more like their mothers, while Logan looked more like Clayton. Both of them were beautiful. I couldn't help it, I thought of an amazon when I gazed at Katherine. It wouldn't be a surprise if this was how they looked.

"We know Kate," her twin answered. All of them were turned against me, and I saw that no one believed me.

"I already have protection."

"From?"

"My mate."

They all glanced at Katherine. She was staring at me, with an intense look in her eyes. "You're still not telling the truth, not all of it," she said after a while. It took all my self control not to grind my teethes. She saw straight through me, I was a good liar. No, I was a **great** liar. I had to be, or we wouldn't have gotten here. My lies had kept us alive for months now. "What's your mates name?"

"Jonathan," I said and couldn't keep my angry tone away.

"The same Jonathan you were asking me about in the forrest?" Jeremy asked. There was no doubt, he remembered hearing hatred in my voice.

I slowly turned to him, "no this is a different one."

"And what will we tell your brother?" It was Elenas voice now, she sounded concerned. I had to wonder why, she knew nothing of me. My name only.

"The truth," I answered, "tell him I left him here."

Elena instantly frowned, "he'll hate you."

"That's the point."


	3. Sanctuary

How long was I going to stay in this godforsaken cage?

My skin was crawling. I had to get out now. I would say and do anything as long as it got me **out**. I kept pacing my confined space and it kept driving my insane. This is why I hated zoos as much as I did. Because I knew firsthand how it felt to be confined.

Elena and the other ones had left me after our talk. And they had not returned for a while now. I had no idea if that was good or bad for me and Adam.

I kept on praying, they had to let him stay. It was my only wish. It would have been my dying wish, it was the one thing I wanted. If anyone would have asked me what I wanted most, it would have been this.

Not me getting away from Jonathan, not the rest of my family to be safe, not my mother to come back alive. No, just Adam. He was my cub now, out mother was dead and he was my responsibility, my child. I felt the weight of my responsibility square on my shoulders, holding me down.

The bars were cool and I leaned my head against them. I was thinking to much. But there was nothing else for me to do. I had no one to talk to, nowhere to go, nothing to do. What else could I do? So my mind kept torturing me with what could happen.

What if they said no? I almost panicked at the thought. _They can't_. Sebastian had promised me that the Pack would take care of Adam. My uncle had also promised me that they would welcome us with open arms. They couldn't be that heartless.

The cellar door opened once again. And my heart skipped a beat. I wasn't sure if I was horrified or happy to get company. It scared me too death, their decision. _God please, do this one thing for me_, I prayed silently.

I didn't recognize the wolf that came down. But I remembered his smell. He was the other blond wolf that had been out in the woods.

He had blond wavy hair that was cut short. It wasn't as curly as Claytons or Katherines. He had broad shoulders, but was otherwise built slim, with muscles more like an athlete. He gave me a small smile, and I could tell that he was used to smiling. His face lit up when he saw that I couldn't help smiling back. He was older than me, but there was no telling how much older. He could be everything from twenty-five to thirty-five. He had that charming look that would always keep him young.

"Nice to met you again, my name's Reese," he introduced himself. I could tell that he wasn't from America, it sounded a bit Australian. But I couldn't really be sure yet.

"Anna," I answered back after I cleared my throat. "Sorry about-" I started to apologize for trying to throw him in the woods, seemed like a good idea to be on my best behavior.

"No need," he interrupted, "it was quick thinking from your part." I nodded, happy that all my bridges wasn't burned to ashes. "They want you upstairs." I nodded my agreement again, not like I had any choice.

"And they only sent you to fetch me? I feel insulted."

That made him laugh. And his laugh made me join him, he had that kind of laugh that spread. The one that was always funnier than the joke itself. "Sorry, just following orders."

He opened the cage and grabbed my arm. He held me loose, just to make sure that I wasn't going anywhere. Which I wasn't. And then we started going upstair, I felt my heart pounding. I glanced at Reese and wondered if he heard it, he showed nothing if he did.

The house was old, made of dark rich wood that smelled like my own home. It made my heart clench, so I stopped associating that smell with my memories. I had to if I was going to make it. There was no room for a meltdown. I had to keep it together.

I had no idea where we were going, so Reese kept holding my arm and led me to a room where the doors was closed. He knocked and waited for the alpha to answer.

"Come in," Elena said, and dread once again filled me. What if? I kept thinking. So I had to stop, I would find out sooner or later.

Reese opened the door and I glanced around. The room fitted the house décor, with an open fire and couches by it. There was no TV, and I thought about Adam, he loved watching TV. I wondered how bummed he was to find that they didn't have one.

The pack was sitting in the room, Elena and Clayton was sitting on the couch with their children on either side of them. The rest was sitting on the floor or in the other couch. I didn't recognize the wolves that were here, neither had I expected too.

I could see where my place was, directly in front of them all, in the lone armchair. I'd already started getting nervous. This was torture. We slowly made our way to the armchair and I turned and waited for Elena. I wouldn't sit before she told me I could.

A faint nod made me sit down. I kept my head turned a bit down, to show my submit. I was the outsider, and she was the alpha. She held the power and I wasn't going to make her doubt it. Our rules were quite simple, the alpha had the absolute power and was to be treated with the up most respect. Thats what she was getting from me.

"We've been discussing," she started and I felt my heart leap up into my throat. This was it. "What will happen if their Pack comes looking for Adam?"

"They wont." I knew that with certainty. If I went back to Jonathan, Adam would be safe. He would leave him be and he would never have to withstand his torture again.

"How can you be so certain?" Jeremy asked. He didn't sound mad or demanding. Just calm, as he always had been when he spoke to me.

"I just know." I couldn't tell them **how **I knew, just that I did. I was afraid that they would make me stay too if they knew. The american Pack had a reputation when it came to safekeeping. They were fierce protectors, all wolves knew that. They were also fierce with repercussion, thats why Adam needed them. They could and would keep him safe. And they would treat him as their own, meaning – if anything happened they would protect him.

"Why would we take him in?" It was Claytons harsh voice. And I flinched. At first I didn't know what to say. I had been so sure that they would take care of him.

"He's an innocent child," I answered confused, "he has done nothing wrong and he is harmless."

"Then why is he being followed?" he kept on trying to get me to answer truthfully. I could sense that no one believed me, not fully.

So I decided to lie, but keep myself as close to the truth as I could. "Because of me. My mate can protect me. But not him."

"Why?" he kept pressing.

"Females are the ones to chose when it comes to mates. I chose mine, so I am safe. But Adam is free prey to the ones that want me. And they will hurt him to get to me. I don't want to leave my mate and I don't want my brother to get hurt because of me." It wasn't a lie altogether. It was true that females chose their mates, and males just had to stick with our decision. I lied when I said that I didn't want to leave my mate, I actually wanted to. The difference was that I was bound to him and there was nothing I could do. I had already promised myself to Jonathan in order to keep Adam safe.

"How can he keep you safe?"

"Because I choose him. So it doesn't really matter if anyone tries to hurt my mate. We protect each other with our mating. If anyone comes after him, I'm free to take revenge as I see suited. And no one can force me to be with them."

"So lets see if I get this straight," Clayton begun with a mocking voice, "you and your mate are safe as long as you're still mated. But your brother will keep on being chased, all because of you?"

"Yes."

"Theres something about this that I don't believe." _Damn you Katherine_, I growled to myself. Why did she have to keep on calling me out? I tried to look as honest and impassive as I could. Like I had nothing to hide. "So this alpha son will keep on hunting your brother to get to you?" I nodded, I didn't trust my voice right now. My temper was starting to reveal itself and I could not afford that right now. "Why can't the swedish Pack protect him?"

I snorted before I could stop myself. "If you think that the alpha doesn't want me as his daughter-in-law, let me correct you. He wants me in his family, and he was not happy when I rejected his sons offer. He wont stop him from hurting Adam. He casts a blind eye when it comes to his son. He's able to walk around and commit all the crimes he wants. As long as he gets what he want in the end."

Adam burst in before anyone could say anything. I could tell that he was upset. His green eyes were sparkling with annoyance and his little jaw was clenched. "You will not leave me here!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Adam," I growled from the depth of my stomach. He was not the alpha in our relationship, I was. And he was very close to overstepping.

He cast his eyes down in defeat. But I could tell from his body language that he was far from done. He would scream and fight more, he was just building up his nerve to do so.

"You can't let her leave," he pleaded.

"Våga," I growled again. It was a challenge, I dared him. He needed to keep his little mouth shut if this was going to work, or everything I had done would have been in vane.

Angry tears was rolling down his cheeks and it pained me to see him like this. I wanted to stay with all my heart, I wanted to see him grow up, I wanted to be there when he went through his first change. I wanted it **all**.

"Du kan inte gå tillbaka till honom," - you can't go back to him - Adam kept crying. I had to compose myself, or I would start too.

"Jag måste," - I have to - I answered and heard how miserable I sounded. I just hoped that the others would think that my sorrow had to do with leaving Adam behind and nothing more.

"Why shouldn't we let her leave?" Katherine asked with a gentle voice. Adam wanted to tell her everything, I could tell by the way his lips started to move. No sound came out, thank god.

And then he said the words that crushed everything. He said the one thing that I'd forgotten to forbid. "She wont be able to escape him again."

"Escape who?" Elena demanded. Ah, but that was it. Adam couldn't tell them who it was, or why or when. My order was in his head, so he couldn't say **anything** of importance. He could try to get around my order, like he just did. But nothing more.

Adam growled and stomped his foot, and I had to smile at his childishness. It was refreshing to see that he still knew how to act like one. And it gave me hope, hope that he could have a normal life after what happened to him.

"Who are you escaping?" It was Clayton again, he sounded angry, there wasn't any mocking note left in his voice.

"The alphas son," I answered truthfully. My heart started pounding again. _Damn it!_ I had been so, so close! Why had Adam barged in in that moment?!

"Look at me Adam," Elena began and he obediently met her gaze. "Give me a reason to make her stay or I will have to let her go."

Adams eyes grew big by her words. He knew that they would keep me locked up in the cage again. And that I would be safe here, with him. That was all my baby brother wanted, for us to finally be safe together.

I kept staring at him, reminding him of the promise he'd given me. "We're running away from her mate," I barely heard him whisper it. But both I and the others had heard him. My blood froze to ice. This was not part of the plan!

There was no waiting, my panic took over. I leaped up from the chair and made a run for it. I was far from the door when I got tackled to the floor.

I could tell that it was Logan by the size of my attacker. He was a lot stronger, taller and heavier then I was. I was on my stomach, with my head at the floor and my hands on my back, before I knew it.

"Vet du vad som kommer hända nu?!" - do you know what will happen now - I roared at Adam. He kept on crying and looked frightened. It was wrong of me to scream at him. But I was so frustrated, I had to get it out. And this was his fault. "Varför var du inte bara tyst?" - why couldn't you just have kept quiet - all the fight left my body and I stopped struggling against Logans grip. I banged my head against the floor. _Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuuuuuuuuuck_.

"Do you want to try this again?" Clayton kept mocking me.

I growled, and didn't even try to hide my fangs. "As I told you, I don't want or need your help." His blue eyes sparkled with barely concealed anger.

"We're trying to help you," he growled back.

"Are you deaf?" OK, my attitude was not helping. _Come on, breath, snap out of it_. I tried to conceal my fury, or to control it.

"Tell us what happened Adam."

I groaned. I knew that everything would spill out of him now. He had already broken his promise, there was nothing stopping him now. "Tänk på vad du gör," - think of what you're doing – I warned him.

Adam glanced at me, I turned my head sideways to stare at him. And I knew that nothing would escape him. All of our secrets would pour out of him now. He started talking, and showed no fear or shame whatsoever. But I felt it all creeping up on me. Especially my shame.

"Jonathan is hunting us. He hurt us, that's why we escaped."

Well, it was out now. Why not tell them the truth? "No it was not," I growled from my place on the floor. "We escaped so I could keep you safe!"

"I promised Amadeus and Andy that I would keep you safe." He cried again. It hurt to even hear him talk about our two brothers. And it drove me insane that they'd thought that Adam could protect me. It was unfair of them, to lay that kind of responsibility on his small shoulders.

I felt a tear leave my eye and start to move towards the bridge of my nose. "You can't baby," I whispered and put my forehead against the floor.

"What did he do?"

I heard Adam take a new breath, to spill all of the awful things that Jonathan had done. "There's no need for you to know that." I didn't mean to say it, it was just an angry thought that came out. "And it is not ok that you ask an eight year old to talk about it," I finished with a growl.

"Seems that he is more truthful than you."

"They came to our house when our dad and brothers were away," Adam started. My heart was already breaking. I wanted to take all of the pain from him, all of the memories. It was once again out of my power to do so. But god I wanted too, especially now when I heard his voice trembling. I knew without looking that he was still crying. "Anna and mom started fighting them, and I hid. But they were to many for the two of them. Jonathan broke moms neck," I heard him sob in earnest and I had to hold my breath to keep me from doing the same.

I wanted to hug him, and soothe him. But I was stuck against the floor, trapped in my own agony from that day.

_We smelled them before we saw them. _

_And I saw my mothers fear even though she tried to hide it. I didn't wait for her to give me any order. I instantly grabbed Adam and took him inside the house. We had a space, under the floor, barely big enough for Adam. _

"_Don't leave me," he pleaded. He must have seen both mine and our mothers fear. Or he just felt that something was happening. _

"_I wont," I promised, "but you need to stay here. Whatever happens, promise me that you will stay hidden. I will come back for you."_

"_I promise."_

_I ran out just in time to see the wolves coming. They were led my a blond one. His hair was so blond it almost looked white. He was big, a bit overwhelming. I could tell that the others weren't as big as he was. His face was almost angelic, so beautiful it almost made you cry looking at him. His face was strong, with high cheekbones and a strong jaw. He had a full mouth, with lips that looked as soft as silk. Everything about him was beautiful, from the way he moved, like a true predator, to his handsome face. I could tell, even from a great distance that his eyes were dark, almost black. And thats what scared me, there was no warmth or kindness in them. _

_The thing that frightened me the most was that his eyes lit up when he saw me. And I knew why he came. I had waited for the day. I had dreaded it. And I found myself stuck in the same place by fear._

_My mother growled when she saw them. "Jonathan," she said, like his name was a curse. And it was in my house. We all knew of his cruelties. _

_Jonathan heard her and smiled. "Theresia, such a joy to see you again."_

_My mother roared and sounded just like the animal she was. Her yellow eyes started looking more wild with every second and claws were appearing on her hands. I saw her anger, and felt how mighty it was. It was coming out of her in waves. _

"_You will not have her." I had never heard her sound as threatening as she did now. It made me understand just how serious the situation was. _

"_You look exactly like your mother," Jonathan said with a dark rumbling voice. I was sure that it was meant as a compliment, but goosebumps stood up all over my body. I knew that I was an exact replica of my mother. I saw it when I looked in the mirror. _

_I had her yellow eyes. Her wild dark hair. Her face, her body. All was from her. I saw that Jonathan was measuring me up, and I didn't like the way his eyes stayed at my body._

"_We can do this two ways. Both will end in the same result," he began, "you can come along willingly or unwillingly. It doesn't really matter to me." His words were directed to me. And I had to take a deep breath before I could answer him._

"_What will happen if I don't?" I heard that my voice was trembling, and my hands were starting to shake a little._

"_Try me," he answered like he was amused. He smiled then, a perfect smile. It caught me off guard. How could he be so beautiful on the outside and so ugly on the inside? This was our first meeting, but he had been close to finding me a couple of times now. I had already heard all the stories that came with him. He was not a man, nor a wolf, he was pure evil. _

"_Don't you dare Anna," my mother warned me._

"_You're testing my patience princess." I saw Jonathan flick his hand, and the four wolves at his sides started moving towards us. _

_My heart raced. I couldn't let them come near Adam or my mother. "I'll come with you if you leave my family alone."_

"_She will not." My mother said and grabbed my arm. I had started to move forward, but she detained me._

"_Stop it," I hissed at her, "I will be fine, but you wont. Let go!"_

"_I would rather die," she hissed back, and I started to see her fangs grow out. _

_I felt Jonathans gaze at me again. And I shivered despite my tries not to. "Do I need to come and get you?" he sounded amused again. _

"_No," I answered. I tried to get out of my mothers grip. Which would have resulted in ripping my arm of. "Mom," I growled. _

_She yanked me back, so I stood behind her again. "You wont get her Jonathan." _

"_Oh, I will Teresia. My father might have lost you. But I can promise you, I have no intention of losing your daughter. I've been searching for her for a long time now." I felt his hungry eyes on me again, and I was glad that my mother still held my arm. Otherwise everyone would have seen it shake. _

"_Over my dead body."_

"_If you insist," he answered with a laugh._

_Two of his men started to move forward and I forgot about Jonathan and his eyes. I saw them closing in on us, and I knew that we needed to fight. _

_They were both stronger and bigger than us. My mom and I had trained against males, we knew that we had to be faster than them in order to win. _

_One of the males came up against me, and he tried to hit me in the face. Jonathans voice rang out, "not in the face Michel, she needs to stay pretty."_

_I dodged his punch and delivered one myself against his ribs. He yelled out in pain and I punched his kidney before he could stand up again. He was sloppy and hit wildly, hitting nothing but air. He was still not standing up straight, one of his legs was already down on the ground. I danced around him and kicked him in the back, forcing him to the ground. _

_My mother fought beside me, and I heard her groan in pain. I didn't even think, but jumped at the wolfs back and snapped his neck. I wanted to jump in and help her. And I didn't care that we fought our battles one on one._

_Jonathan was instantly at my back, trying to get hold of my hands. I kicked backwards, hoping to kick his balls. Or something that hurt. He laughed and forced my legs down. _

_He sat down behind me and made sure that his legs were between mine. He parted them with force and I lost. There wasn't anything I could do. He still held my hands behind my back and we were sitting on our knees._

_I felt him inhale my scent, he took a deep breath from my neck. And I almost heard his eyes roll back in his head. "My god, you smell like heaven." His voice sounded darker than before, filled with lust, and that filled me with dread._

_I kicked my head back and felt it connect with his face. I thought it would make him mad and waited for him to hurt me. But he laughed and grabbed both of my hands with one of his. _

_His free hand rested against my neck, he carefully moved my hair out of the way and exposed my neck. "I love that you're putting up a fight. It will make it so much funnier later."_

"_Fuck you," I growled and tried to turn around and bite him. His hand on my neck kept me from doing any damage._

_He laughed again, a laugh so pure and wonderful that it felt wrong coming from him. "Oh, trust me princess. We will have fun."_

"_I wont," I spat._

"_You're absolutely right. Let me reface that, I will have a lot of fun with you." I felt his lips against my neck and I shivered. I didn't want him to notice or see it, but nothing escaped him. "Back to business, where is the cub?"_

"_With his father and brothers," my mother growled behind us. _

"_Ah, but I know that you're lying. He is here, with you. Now, tell me where he is and I will let the two of you live."_

_Neither I or my mother said a word. Not even a sound. "As you wish. I will kill your mother when we find him."_

_I flinched, but otherwise stayed still. I was confident of Adams hiding place. "As my mother said, he is not here." I tried to control my voice, even though fear was running in my body._

"_Are you certain?" Jonathan kept on pressing, while his free hand started caressing my stomach. "I didn't lie to you when I said that my patience was thin."_

_I struggled again and tried to get away, he pressed himself further in between my legs and it stopped me. "Go get him," he told the other two wolves, they moved before he even finished his sentence._

_My heart was pounding. They wouldn't find him. They couldn't. Adams scent was all over that house, it was impossible. And yet I was still shaking with fear. _

_It didn't take them long to find him. I heard him scream from inside the house. "Adam!" both me and my mother shouted at the same time._

"_Ah!" Jonathan exclaimed, "I told you not to lie to me princess."_

_They came out of the house again, and one of the wolves was carrying Adam. I didn't say anything I didn't dare. For the first time in my life, I was afraid for real. Adam was so small, and they were so big and strong. _

"_Stay put," Jonathan warned and nipped my throat. I did as he said. He started moving behind me, I still didn't move. "Turn around princess." I did as he said._

_My mother was also on her knees, with Jonathan standing behind her. I knew what he was going to do. "No, please, don't!" I begged and buried my hands in the ground. _

"_Did I not warn you?" He clenched his jaw, he was truly terrifying now. I saw anger in his dark eyes. _

"_Please," I tried once again, "I'll do anything. Whatever you want." I thought that caught his interest, but I was wrong._

"_You still will. I have your brother," he said with a smile and broke our mothers neck._

"What did he do when he captured you?"

I had tears streaming down my face now. It was all catching up on me. And I didn't have any strength left. I had been strong for too long now. Adam was also crying, he too, had been brave.

"He beat me and locked me up in a cage." I heard his agony, and it made me hate Jonathan more than I already did. Thats when Adam finally looked at me. I was sitting up now, on my knees. Logan was still behind me, but he was no longer holding me.

"I heard you scream. I know that he hurt you too, I saw the marks he left on you. Even when you say he didn't, I know that you're lying."

I pressed my hand against my mouth and tried to keep my sob inside. It came out as a strangled noise instead. It was unfair, that one so small should know so much.

He came up to me and stood just in front of me. "If you go back," he started but had to stop a second, his crying kept him from speaking, "then I go back with you."

I took hold of him and held him tight. As tight as I could without hurting him. He was so small against my chest, and he buried himself there. I still felt his tears against my shirt and his little body shaking from the effort.

The others were watching us, so I too buried my head against his neck. This was too private. All of it was to much to tell anyone else. I didn't want them to look at us with pity in their eyes. It was to late for that now.

After some while, when Adam was on the verge of passing out, did I look up. I regretted it the same second, I wanted to bury my face again. Katherine was crying silently, Elena had tears in her eyes. Clayton had a pained expression, Jeremy too and Reese couldn't look at us. The other wolves looked away too. I understood that, I guess that we were to shattered and weak right now.

I gathered Adam in my arms and went to the armchair again. "Please tell me that you will take him in." He was asleep now and couldn't protest any longer.

"We can't let you go back to him." I was surprised to hear Clayton speak.

"Then he will come here. And that will put all of you and Adam into danger again. I just want him to be safe. That's all I want."

"Let him come," both Elena and Clayton growled, "we will keep you safe."


End file.
